BAGUIO CITY—This is no tempest in a teapot, this hue and cry over the destruction of the Ibagiw mural of visual and performance artist Angelo Aurelio without notice to him and upon the instructions of a tourism official in charge of the yearly arts and culture festival. (“Ibagiw” is an Ibaloi term to mean “someone or something from Baguio.” It is also the name of the festival that ended with a candlelight protest by artists and community members sympathetic to Aurelio’s plight.)
Suddenly, it’s not just about the penny ante rate that some artists, writers, and crafts people accept to survive. Now the issue has grown to involve the respect due artists and their works born of vision and hard labor.
Aurelio called his 2020 work the “Pandemic Mural.” It used to hang on the wall of the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center. He called it “a labor of love, a personal tribute to the victims of the pandemic and a heartfelt homage to influential artists who shaped Baguio’s art scene.”
“As a performing artist mentored by the late Raffy Kapuno and a proud mentee of environmental activist Andrew Weygan, I felt compelled to contribute to the city’s revival during a time of great need,” Aurelio said. “I volunteered my talent, poured my heart and soul into the project and accepted a ₱10,000 honorarium for my concept, art direction and six-hour performance painting.”
“The mural was a collaborative effort with friend Alan Manalastas helping, my entire body serving as a silhouette pattern,” he said. “The inauguration was poignant with torch-lit shadows dancing on the LED wall. Showcased were the faces of beloved artists who had passed on, including Tony Wacs, Roberto Villanueva and Vince Navarro.”
To Aurelio, it was “a sacred moment, a celebration of their lives and legacies, a testament to the power of art to heal and inspire.”
He recalled: “The mural, centered around the theme of anito (ancestor deities), was a tribute to these creatives who had shaped the city’s artistic landscape. I drew inspiration from Rene Aquitania’s style, eschewing digital platforms and artificial intelligence in favor of traditional techniques and raw emotion. This was more than a painting. It was a declaration of love, a celebration of the human spirit and a defiant stand against the forces of greed and destruction that threaten our city. It was a reminder that even in the darkest times, art can be a beacon of hope, a source of strength and inspiration for those fighting against corporate conglomerates and environmental degradation.
“The experience was a reminder that art is not just about creation but about community, connection and the power to make a difference. It was all done for the love of art to resuscitate a city during the pandemic.”
Silent for too long
Aurelio learned about the destruction of his mural through his friend Hendrix Sanchez, and reached out to architect Dulthe Munar, a Baguio Outstanding Citizen awardee, to confirm the information. But Munar said he knew nothing of the matter.
The artist considers the incident “a culmination of the systemic disregard for artists’ rights and labor in Baguio” and “a stark reminder that our city’s artists are often taken for granted.”
“Our work is exploited without respect or compensation,” he said. “I can’t help but think that this might be rooted in the nonconfrontational nature of Baguio artists who have been conditioned to prioritize harmony over advocacy. We’ve been silent for too long. It’s time we spoke up. This is a wake-up call for all of us to demand better, to fight for our rights and to protect our artistic heritage.”
It still rankles, he said. “I experienced the lack of respect for artistic labor. Despite my contributions, I was not accorded the basic courtesy to have the mural removed or destroyed. I say ‘destroyed’ because they saved the frame of the body, but they scraped the wood surface where the image is painted.”
He said he dislikes haggling about prices, which he considers “another form of exploitation that artists face.”
“It’s as if our work is not valued,” he said. “We’re expected to be grateful for whatever little is offered. The truth is, our art is not just a commodity. It’s a reflection of our passion, our time and our dedication. The delay in payment is another issue that affects many performers and artists. It’s not just about the money; it’s about the principle. We’re not just service providers; we’re creatives who deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.”
The Ibagiw fiasco is “a symptom of a larger problem,” Aurelio said. “Our city leaders must recognize the value of artistic labor and treat us with the respect we deserve. We’re not just entertainers. We’re the heartbeat of this city. It’s time we’re treated as such. The exploitation of performers, the lack of compensation and the disrespect shown to artists—it’s all connected.”
Public apology
City Tourism Officer Aloysius “Alec” Mapalo has publicly apologized for the incident. Aurelio accepted the apology but “with a heavy heart.”
“The apology, though sincere, comes after a litany of injustices, disrespect and humiliation inflicted upon the creative community of Baguio,” the artist said. “The actions of the City Tourism Office, as acknowledged by the officer, are a stark reminder of the disregard and marginalization that artists and creatives have faced for far too long. The removal of my mural without my consent, the lack of communication and the subsequent dismissal of concerns raised by the community, are examples of the many instances where the rights and dignity of artists have been trampled upon.”
There was a public clamor for Mapalo to resign. CoverStory’s request for his comments, sent by email, Viber and Facebook, elicited no response from him.
Mapalo picked the wrong artist to mess with. Aurelio comes with high credentials, including representing the Philippines in Belgium, Italy, Turkey, Japan and Korea through Butoh performances under the Asia Meets Asia Performance Art Company and Mikusano Mitakara Artists Society.
“These experiences have broadened my perspective and deepened my understanding of the universal language of art,” Aurelio said. “My philosophy is rooted in the idea that art should reflect our collective consciousness, sparking conversations and inspiring change. I believe that art has the power to heal, to challenge and to bring people together.”
He cited other instances when artworks were removed or destroyed so summarily: the stone statues of Gano on top of Session Road and the Green House Gallery in the Botanical Garden. Many in the art community were left “feeling disheartened,” he said. “These incidents highlight the need for greater understanding and appreciation of the contributions artists make to our city’s cultural identity.”
Misguided effort
A multidisciplinary artist who explores the intersection of culture, identity and environment through traditional and contemporary media, Aurelio is backed by such kindred spirits as actor, theater director and writer Karlo Marko Altomonte and filmmaker and theater artist Ferdinand Balanag.
Aurelio’s case has been going on for years and is “one of many circumstances where artists were disrespected and abused in this last iteration of Ibagiw,” Altomonte said. “It’s not just Angelo I’m standing with. There’s Jessica Mirandilla, whose group of performers rehearsed without food or beverages provided and whose professional fees were allegedly arbitrarily reduced halfway through the production. This might seem trivial, but it says a lot about the general direction local art and culture are headed under the current circumstances and powers that be. An exhibiting artist was refused a glass of wine during the opening gala because the wine was exclusive to ‘VIPs’ only.”
In Altomonte’s analysis, “one of the most misguided efforts in Baguio is placing art and culture under the umbrella of tourism initiatives.”
“Even the Creative Baguio City Council is co-chaired by the mayor and a tourism professional, not an artist,” he pointed out. “Art should be allowed to grow organically, guided by authenticity, creativity and community, not by the demands of the tourism industry. Ironically, it’s when art and culture are given that freedom that they produce meaningful works and events, which in turn naturally enrich and elevate tourism.”
According to Balanag, Aurelio’s case is “an attack on the dignity of all cultural workers in Baguio.”
“His work being destroyed and discarded without consent is unacceptable. It reflects a deeper, longstanding problem: the disregard for artists, their labor and their cultural contributions,” Balanag said, adding:
“When I first heard [about it], I was shocked and angered. It felt personal. I know how much heart, time and spirit go into creating a piece. To see an artist’s work treated so carelessly was painful. It made me think of all the other times artists have been dismissed, underpaid, or silenced and how often these abuses are brushed aside. Supporting Angelo is also about standing up for a principle: that no artist should be treated this way, that institutions must be held accountable when they fail to respect the very creatives they claim to celebrate. His case is a wake-up call. I stand with him because his fight is our fight as artists, as cultural workers and as a community.”
Calling, duty, responsibility
But why do artists, writers and creatives in general do what they do despite these lamentable conditions?
Said Altomonte: “There are stories that ask to be written, images that long to be painted and feelings that insist on being expressed. For me, creating art is a calling, a duty and a responsibility to humanity, whether it’s done in world-class theaters or a community gathering in a small village. Any financial reward comes only after the work itself.”
Said Balanag: “I persist because the work is more than a job—it’s a calling. Creating is telling stories, shaping culture and giving voice to things that can’t be spoken any other way. That keeps me going. Even when the income is uncertain, the purpose is clear. Art feeds a part of me that no stable paycheck ever could. I keep pushing because I know our work matters to communities, to history, to the next generation of artists who deserve better than what we inherited.”
According to Altomonte, the times he worked with patrons and clients who understand and respect artists and their process are “quite rare.”
“In Baguio, sadly, it’s the local patrons and clients who tend to abuse and undervalue local artists. Most prominent clients and patrons in Baguio would not think twice about satisfying outside artists’ demands for compensation and other perks, but would never do the same for local artists,” he said.
Altomonte recalled being hired to direct a performance art piece to mark Baguio Day and being offered a payment so low that he did the job for free. “It was just too insulting,” he said. “Conversely, when I was hired to direct a simple concert in a gala celebrating the centennial of the Baguio Country Club, I was compensated properly. But that’s only because they hired a producer from Manila to manage the event, who, in turn, hired me as director.”
Asked why bureaucrats and some patrons treat cultural workers as trabahador lang (mere laborers) and what needs to be changed, Altomonte said: “Because art is subjective, many assume it requires no real skill or discipline. That anyone can do it. This oversimplification causes some to undervalue cultural workers, reducing their roles to tasks rather than acknowledging the expertise, creativity and cultural insight their work actually requires. What needs to change is the recognition of the rigor behind artistic work and a shift toward understanding art and culture as essential, not merely ornamental.”
To the same questions Balanag replied: “They don’t understand the depth of what we do. To them, culture is decoration, not labor. They see performances and outputs, but not the years of training, the emotional investment or the cultural weight behind every piece. This ignorance leads to disrespect: low pay, poor working conditions and the expectation that we should be grateful for ‘exposure.’ What has to change is the mindset. Institutions must recognize that creative work is real work: skilled, essential and worthy of proper compensation. Policies must be put in place to protect artists, standardize fees and ensure fair treatment. Above all, there must be cultural literacy among those in power. If they truly understood what art contributes to society, they would never reduce us to mere laborers.”
From these words, Baguio City seems to be hosting a fractious cultural community.
Altomonte conceded that while the city’s creative community could unite behind “a just cause,” it is “very fractious,” especially after the Baguio Arts Guild (BAG) “lost both influence and credibility” with the passing of one of its founders, Santiago Bose, in 2002.
Still, despite no longer being under the BAG umbrella, “individual artists and different art and cultural groups each contributed to Baguio’s vibrant local cultural skyline, with independently produced and staged events and works,” he said.
“Initially, Baguio’s designation as a creative city by Unesco was met with much skepticism, particularly by the younger artists and cultural workers. Many shunned the first attempt to stage a festival celebrating that designation in 2018,” Altomonte said.
He was tasked to direct the festival in 2019, with the primary goal of rallying the art community behind an inclusive activity. “My rationale for changing the name of the festival from ‘EntaCool,’ which I thought was too touristy, to ‘Ibagiw’ was to unite the creative sector behind a unique cultural identity,” he explained.
Dialogue
On Dec. 4, Baguio artists from various sectors and city officials including Mapalo met at a dialogue initiated by the office of Mayor Benjamin Magalong.
From accounts, Mapalo apologized again but said in a roundabout way that government offices are subject to procedures and protocols that can lead to problems and concerns. He said that since 2018 when he came at the time that Baguio was declared a Unesco city, his office has been “adamant in making sure that we progress towards a direction where we can retain our status by putting importance on the assets and identity of our city.”
Sources said the conflict resulted in what chess players call a draw. But it may be that the artists have won an important moral victory.
